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Objective: This study aims to investigate plasma levels of leptin, acyl ghrelin, and unacylated ghrelin during heroin withdrawal in patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) with regard to the relationship of these levels with craving and their changes over time. Methods: This study included 28 male patients diagnosed with OUD according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria who received inpatient rehabilitation. The control group included 28 healthy male volunteers with characteristics similar to the patient group. Plasma leptin, acyl ghrelin, and unacylated ghrelin levels of the patients were measured 3 times throughout the study by collecting blood on the first day, the seventh day at the end of the detox, and the twenty-first day. Blood was collected only once from the control group to determine their plasma leptin, acyl ghrelin, and unacylated ghrelin levels. Results: Our study did not determine any statistically significant differences between patients with OUD and healthy controls with regard to plasma leptin, acyl ghrelin, and unacylated ghrelin levels on the first, seventh, and twenty-first days of withdrawal. Plasma levels of leptin, acyl ghrelin, and unacylated ghrelin did not significantly correlate with craving scores. Conclusion: This study does not support the hypothesis that plasma leptin, acyl ghrelin, and unacylated ghrelin levels are markers in those with OUD. Further research, particularly in humans, is recommended to replicate and expand on the findings of the current literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Current evidence suggests that pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) may play an important role in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD). Our study aims to compare BD patients and controls in terms of serum TNF-α, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (sTNF-R1, sTNF-R2) levels in different phases of BD. Methods: Eighty-three patients with BD type 1 (27 manic, 22 depressive and 34 euthymic) and twenty-nine healthy controls were included in the study. Serum levels of TNF-α, sTNF-R1, sTNF-R2 levels were evaluated with ELISA kit. Results: Levels of sTNF-R1 were showed a statistically significant difference between groups. Levels of sTNF-R1 were higher in depression or mania patients than euthymia patients and control subjects. A statistically significant difference in the serum level of sTNF-R1 between patients in acute episode (mania and depression) group and stabile (patients in euthymic episode and controls) group was found in logistic regression analysis. The probability of having acute episode increased threefold for each unit increase in serum level of sTNF-R1. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean serum values of TNF-α and sTNF-R2 between the groups. Conclusions: sTNF-R1 production was different between acute episode patients and controls or stable BD patients. The result of this study confirms that TNF-R1 may be a state marker representing disease activity for BD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study two types cationic surfactants were synthesized, purified, and characterized in our laboratory. One them is a series of cationic surfactants, a two tail-one head surfactant, N,N-dialkyl-N,N-diethylammonium bromide, abbreviated as "m-0-m" (m = 10, 12, and 16). The other type is N,N'-dialkyl-N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-N,N'-ethanediyl-diammonium dibromide, two tail-two head surfactants, abbreviated as "m-2-m" (m = 12 and 16). Once NMR spectra (¹H NMR, 13C NMR) for all the gemini surfactants that were synthesized were taken, then the melting temperatures (TM) were measured. These surfactants have very high surface activity. The main goal of our study was to examine some properties of these two tail cationic surfactants by manipulating their dimeric structure. The effects of alkyl chain length and headgroup on surfactant self-assembly in solution were investigated. Critical micelle concentrations (CMC), degree of micelle ionization (a), and Krafft temperatures (TK) of 1 wt % aqueous solutions of these surfactants were determined by conductance measurements. Krafft points were found to be dependent on the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain and decreased by the addition of the electrolytes. The absence of the spacer group, peculiar to these twin tail cationic surfactants, may confer relatively low flexibility to the molecules, with potential implications on the interfacial properties, namely, on micellization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin D has been shown to have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties in addition to its well-established role in the maintenance of mineral homeostasis and bone health. The aims of this study were to evaluate vitamin D status in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and also to examine whether there is an association between serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and disease activity in JIA. Children with JIA who had an outpatient visit between March and April 2011 were evaluated retrospectively. Clinical and laboratory findings and vitamin D levels were evaluated. Disease activity was calculated using JADAS-27. Serum vitamin D levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A total of 47 patients, 29 (61.7%) of them girls, with a mean age of 9.3±3.9 years and a median follow-up period of 28 months, were included in the study. The mean serum vitamin D level of all patients was 17.7±11.6 ng/ ml. Vitamin D insufficiency (serum vitamin D: 15-20 ng/ml) and deficiency (serum vitamin D level <15 ng/ml) were found in 9 (19.1%) and 25 patients (53.2%), respectively. The vitamin D level was <20 ng/ml in 72.3% of the children. Only 13 patients (27.7%) were found to have adequate vitamin D levels (>20 ng/ml). There was a significant negative correlation between vitamin D levels and disease activity (p=0.01, r=-0,37). The mean JADAS-27 score was significantly higher in patients with 25(OH)D levels <15 ng/ml than in patients with 25(OH)D levels >15 ng/ml (p = 0.003). We suggest that vitamin D deficiency may be a possible modifiable risk factor affecting disease activity in JIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin D has been shown to have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties in addition to its well-established role in the maintenance of mineral homeostasis and bone health. The aims of this study were to evaluate vitamin D status in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and also to examine whether there is an association between serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and disease activity in JIA. Children with JIA who had an outpatient visit between March and April 2011 were evaluated retrospectively. Clinical and laboratory findings and vitamin D levels were evaluated. Disease activity was calculated using JADAS-27. Serum vitamin D levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A total of 47 patients, 29 (61.7%) of them girls, with a mean age of 9.3±3.9 years and a median follow-up period of 28 months, were included in the study. The mean serum vitamin D level of all patients was 17.7±11.6 ng/ ml. Vitamin D insufficiency (serum vitamin D: 15-20 ng/ml) and deficiency (serum vitamin D level <15 ng/ml) were found in 9 (19.1%) and 25 patients (53.2%), respectively. The vitamin D level was <20 ng/ml in 72.3% of the children. Only 13 patients (27.7%) were found to have adequate vitamin D levels (>20 ng/ml). There was a significant negative correlation between vitamin D levels and disease activity (p=0.01, r=-0,37). The mean JADAS-27 score was significantly higher in patients with 25(OH)D levels <15 ng/ml than in patients with 25(OH)D levels >15 ng/ml (p = 0.003). We suggest that vitamin D deficiency may be a possible modifiable risk factor affecting disease activity in JIA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]